A Mundelein man on the verge of starting a career as a registered nurse has been killed in an early Sunday morning shooting near the University of Illinois in Champaign which left three others wounded.
According to authorities, George Korchev, of Mundelein, was a bystander who had been shot and killed after an argument at a Champaign apartment party carried into the street and turned violent. According to hospital statement Korchev was supposed to start work as a registered nurse on Monday at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville.
Justin Konieczny, a friend and former high school classmate of Korchev's said, "We lost someone whose life mission was to help others”.
Champaign police said that the shooting started around 12:40 AM apparently stemming from an argument shortly after midnight at an apartment party on Green Street, the commercial heart of the campus. Four people had been shot, none of whom were involved in the fight.
Champaign firefighters assisted with the clean-up at the scene of a fatal shooting on Green Street, near the University of Illinois at Champaign on Sept. 25, 2016. Champaign police spokeswoman LaEisha Meaderds said, adding the reasons for the fight aren't yet clear, "Our preliminary investigation completely points to an argument taking place at the party, and the argument spilled out into the street, and that's when a fight occurred”.
Korchev was pronounced dead just after 1 AM at Carle Foundation Hospital, according to police and the Champaign County coroner.
The other three people were rushed to area hospitals with injuries described as non-life-threatening.
A person fleeing the gunfire was hit by a car on Green Street and suffered minor injuries.
At 1:08 AM, another shooting was reported in the 700 block of State Street. One person was wounded and taken to a nearby hospital.
Police believed that the two attacks might have some relations. Police later said that three of the four surviving victims had been discharged from the hospital. The fourth remains in the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Also Read: Chicago to hire 500 new police officers
By Prakriti Neogi
